Part 1, Chapter 11, 17

Rasputin.

In the original story, he was a Russian S-class ability user recommended as Fenrir’s successor on the Round Table after Fenrir was devoured.

Like Ryu Cheon-seong of Haneulseong, he possessed a simple physical enhancement ability, and in the original story, he was both a Hero and a Villain.

Debaucher. Sex Machine. Monstrous Monk.

True to the image of his original motif, he was an indescribably massive man, and in this world, he was undoubtedly the man with the ‘biggest’ package.

Aside from his heroism as a Hero, Rasputin was infamous among women due to the enormous size of his genitals.

The problem was that he also thoroughly enjoyed his nights, leveraging his size.

And he was a villain-not-a-villain who tried to indulge his lust with many women-especially the heroines.

Due to Rasputin’s ability, his true identity was an illusion-type ability user who possessed a ‘charm’ spell from which one could not escape once they were ‘hit’.

And now, that very Rasputin had become Rusalka’s fiancé.

* * *

At that time, Vladimir Mansion, Russia.

Anastasia wanted to return to Korea immediately and enjoy a reunion with her husband, whom she had met after 20 years.

“My husband-nim….”

A mere month or two was not enough to resolve the accumulated love between them, and following Phoenix’s coaching, their marital harmony had become so strong that nothing could break it.

“I’m sorry for coming to the main family… but I am now Rusalka and Anastasia….”

However, due to the influence of her body’s owner and the family love she had come to know since her possession, Rusalka had become ‘Vladimir.Rusalka.Anastasia’, finding it difficult to fully call herself just Rusalka.

“I never thought they would try to tie me down with an arranged marriage….”

The fact that a marriageable daughter of the Vladimir family was the root of the problem.

It was no exaggeration to call Anastasia a ‘princess’; she was the child of a prestigious family, part of the upper class, and related to the real power of the current Russian government.

Her own ability was that of an ice user second only to Seolhwaryeong, so Anastasia’s popularity soared.

In essence, she was Russia’s Hero.

Considering the symbolism of the Round Table, Undine was a goddess who received the support and praise of all Russian citizens.

– But why did such a princess go into hiding in Korea? Does she really have a husband in Korea? It seems to be beyond just liking Korea, doesn’t it?

– It’s a national wealth outflow!!! Korea is trying to take all the talents of the Round Table, one by one, starting with Xiaolin, to their own country!!!

– Is the princess really falling for a Korean man and settling down in Korea? Then what about us? The princess was everywhere, here and there, which kept our entire country safe from monsters??

“I put too much effort into being with my husband-nim….”

Just as many Koreans were wary of Cheonghwa leaving Korea, Russian public opinion was on the verge of exploding over Anastasia’s move to settle in Korea.

“But Dad…! This isn’t right!”

So the Vladimir family resorted to extreme measures. They arranged a political marriage with Rasputin, an S-class ability user who was Anastasia’s equal, whose family was not inferior, and whose appearance was outstanding.

Bang bang bang!

The door, firmly sealed with ice, rattled with a knock. Anastasia poured more mana, solidifying the ice on the door, and from outside, the voice of Anastasia’s father, Suvorov, flowed in.

“My daughter. I’m sorry. But no matter how much I let you be free, you should have kept the line….”

“I don’t want to hear it. Go away!”

Anastasia covered her ears with her hands. But the power of an S-class ability user allowed her to hear Suvorov’s lament very clearly.

“……I did it because I thought you wouldn’t come back if I didn’t. I didn’t want to see you forcibly summoned. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, my daughter.”

“…….”

Anastasia buried her head between her knees.

“Being human… it’s really annoying….”

Drip.

Tears flowed from Anastasia’s eyes. The mana flowing from her body trembled unstably, turning into cold air that filled the room.

“Huk, heuk, huk.”

Anastasia gasped, trying to hold back her tears. But her surging emotions refused to calm down.

“What am I going to do, really….”

Undine was wavering between Anastasia and Rusalka.

* * *

At that time, Phoenix Penthouse, Yeouido.

“Rusalka followed that?”

I called Gwanggeom and sat facing him on the sofa for a private talk. His appearance, having become a wreck in just one night, was indescribably miserable.

“……Yes. It’s a problem that arose because she is Rusalka and also Anastasia.”

Gwanggeom scoffed and lowered his head. From what he felt, Anastasia seemed to have considerable affection for the family, which, from Gwanggeom’s perspective, could be called her ‘in-laws’.

“First, her home country called her, so I let her go, thinking she’d just visit home for a bit, but when she got there, they told her to have an arranged marriage?”

“……Yes.”

Having been in Korea for so long, the Russian people’s anxiety overflowed, and even their response to the monsters stirring in various places gradually became lax, bringing public sentiment to the brink of explosion.

“People got angry because the Round Table went into hiding instead of catching monsters.”

“…The Round Table members are individuals too. Rusalka also needed time to enjoy her personal life.”

“But they enjoyed it so much that people got upset. Ugh, I can’t believe they focused only on their married life without even doing basic duties….”

Since ‘transfer magic’ was also available, it would have been less problematic if they had shown their faces in Russia even once every three or four days, but the two couples couldn’t bear to leave the bed, regretting even that one time.

“It was because we were making love, you and I. Hmm….”

The old Gwanggeom would have definitely drawn the line.

But as a ‘monstrous human’ whose personality was somehow lacking, he compromised with his sexual desires and the happiness of every second spent with Rusalka, rather than the fear people experienced from monsters.

“I reflect on that. From now on, I’ll only do it at night. Still, an arranged marriage, isn’t this wrong?”

Gwanggeom tore at his hair with a haggard face.

“When I, her husband, clearly exist.”

“You’re a dead man.”

“You killed me.”

Gwanggeom glared at me even while covering his face with both hands. Regardless of whether I was the one who made him a monstrous human, a murderous aura overflowed, as if he would kill me if things went wrong.

“That’s why I’m helping you, taking responsibility for that. If it weren’t for me, you would have just been digging around your whole life and died without even knowing Anastasia was Rusalka.”

Gwanggeom fell silent. He probably wanted to deny it, but Gwanggeom himself would know his own frustration best.

“Ugh. I was thinking of taking you to catch Karna.”

Gwanggeom could have put up a good fight against Karna, but Gwanggeom’s condition was quite bad.

“……My condition is a mess in many ways right now.”

“Yes. I understand.”

I could understand, but I was also frustrated and angry about why such a situation had to happen at such a time.

“If you give me a forced command, I can fight, but what can I do in this situation?”

Gwanggeom let out a deep sigh. He was so out of his mind that he showed a weak side in front of me, despite his strong pride.

“Gwanggeom. That-“

“No… no.”

Smack!

Gwanggeom slapped his own cheek. His hazy eyes slowly cleared.

“I shouldn’t be weak. I showed a pathetic side. My apologies.”

Gwanggeom immediately admitted his disgraceful behavior and even apologized to me. It was a bit surprising to me that Gwanggeom apologized to me.

“Is Rusalka’s engagement to another man that shocking?”

“…….”

I had seen him break down, but this level of collapse was unfamiliar. It made me feel inexplicably sorry for him.

“Hmm…. Alright. Then let’s do this.”

“What are you trying to do now?”

“The opponent is an S-class ability user? Then why don’t you appear as an even more splendid husband material?”

As an executive of the Dark Legion, I declared the best advice and command I could give him.

“What are you doing? Go kidnap the bride.”

“……Heh, hahaha!!”

Gwanggeom held his stomach and burst into boisterous laughter.

“What? I said that thinking of you for once.”

“Hahaha, no, no! Isn’t it funny! I was a Hero just two months ago!”

Gwanggeom stopped his loud laughter and lifted his head.

“To think I’d infiltrate another country to kidnap someone to protect my wife. And by myself at that.”

“……Are you prepared?”

I infused him with power. I didn’t want the tragedy of Rusalka being charmed by Rasputin either.

Fwoosh.

My mana permeated Gwanggeom and settled in his Core. Gwanggeom adjusted his posture with stable breathing, imbued with the Azure Flame in his Core.

“……Is this the power of a monstrous human who receives commands?”

“I’ll open the Azure Flame for you from afar. Go wild to your heart’s content.”

Determination filled Gwanggeom’s eyes. He was about to break the window and fly to Russia-

“Are you going to act on impulse again?”

“Gwanggeom-nim! Where are you trying to go right now?!”

He couldn’t.

“Aargh! Let go, Beacon! I’m going to bring my wife back to Busan!”

“If Gwanggeom-nim goes, a real national dispute will break out! Commander-nim, why are you instigating Gwanggeom-nim and causing this mess?!”

“It doesn’t seem like a mess… just a small dispute…?”

“Aargh! Stop him! He’ll resurrect us if we die, so block him with your bodies!!”

The executives who followed me tried to stop Gwanggeom and me with desperate resolve.

In the end, with Beacon clinging to Gwanggeom’s pants like a misery, the Dark Legion’s Princess Kidnapping Plan was temporarily put on hold.

* * *

At that time, Seok Harang’s residence in Seomyeon, Busan.

“Ugh….”

Seok Harang clutched her throbbing head and got up from bed. Her whole body was overflowing with vitality, but her chest ached strangely.

“What did I do yesterday… Ah.”

Seok Harang pulled the blanket back over herself and blinked. She turned her head to see the beanbag in the room, and memories of yesterday resurfaced, making her kick the blanket furiously.

“You crazy broad, aaargh!!”

Seok Harang was so embarrassed she wanted to erase the memories of yesterday. If only it were possible, she wanted to cut out only what happened yesterday from this world’s history, shred it, and throw it in the trash.

“I’ll never collect cubes again, I swear.”

It was still fresh in her memory.

Oppa-ya, darling-ya….

“Crazy bitch. Seok Harang, you’re crazy, crazy.”

As the two cubes rotating on the ceiling cast a soft orange glow, Seok Harang lay intertwined with Phoenix, her light pink lips-

Smack!

Seok Harang slapped her own cheek with one hand, pulling herself together. Her jaw tingled from the mana she put into it, but she felt like she would lose her mind if she stayed like this.

“But he just left without a word. How embarrassing.”

Seok Harang washed her face with water gathered by mana, like a cat. On the kitchen table, a full breakfast remained, still warm despite looking like it had been there for a while.

“Ah.”

Seok Harang trudged to a chair and sat down. One rice bowl, one set of chopsticks.

“Would it kill him to eat with me before leaving? Idiot.”

Although she felt a little down, Seok Harang scooped a large spoonful of rice, grateful for the meal that had been prepared for her.

Steam was rising, as if mana had been used to keep it warm.

“Did he leave because of urgent business this morning…? What urgent business could there be?”

Seok Harang manipulated the Magic Gear gifted by Phoenix to check the morning’s news. As always, the search term associated with her popularity was Undine’s engagement-

“Mom?”

Thud.

The spoon fell limply onto the table. It was news that instantly woke her up.

“Uh, so, an ability user named Rasputin is engaged to Undine…? The ability user from the association and the princess from the military are having an arranged marriage to strengthen national defense…?”

Seok Harang’s head began to spin. Without her knowing, mana leaked from her body, and the warmth of the meal Phoenix had prepared grew cold.

“……Could it be that he left without telling me because of this?”

Seok Harang chuckled faintly.

“Mom, huh….”

She had lived without knowing her mother’s existence, so even if Rusalka was spiritually her mother, she didn’t feel it.

“So, is she trying to act like my mom?”

Seok Harang scooped up rice with her spoon, grinning foolishly.

“Next time, I’ll tease her by calling her Mom. Hehe. ……Ugh.”

The rice was hard, as if it had just come out of the refrigerator.

“…….”

Seok Harang quietly got up from her seat.

“Aish, but they’re my mom and dad…. I should let them do what they want, ugh.”

Seok Harang buried her head on the table, tearing at her hair.

“No, but they’re the people who haven’t come looking for me for over 20 years, aren’t they…? Damn it, I have my pride, it’s not like I did anything wrong…. They always run away whenever they meet me in Busan….”

As Seok Harang’s worries deepened, a call came from her Magic Gear. Seok Harang tidied herself up, cleared her throat, and answered the call.

“What is it?”

[Were you eating? I’m sorry.]

Executor Baek Heea had called Seok Harang early in the morning.

[After you eat, I think you need to come up to New Seoul urgently.]

“Huh?”

Had something else happened? Seok Harang felt uneasy again.

She wondered if Phoenix had caused trouble again.

“That bastard brother, seriously. Haa.”

Seok Harang covered her face with both hands.

“……Still, I should eat before going to work.”

Seok Harang opened the rice cooker lid to warm up the cold rice.

“Oh?”

– Don’t order lunch, take out the side dishes from the refrigerator and eat them.

“…….”

Seok Harang’s expression became complicated as she opened the refrigerator. All the various trash in the freezer had been cleaned out, and the refrigerator was neatly filled with all kinds of food.

“Brother or not….”

Seok Harang made up her mind.

“Should I just make him my wife first?”